A Real Life Fairytale
by justanoutlaw
Summary: The Lost Get Found verse. You have to read that or this won't make sense. There were three moments of Neal Nolan's teen years that defined him. His family was there to help him through each one.
1. Chapter 1

**So, I originally planned for just one future shot of Neal's life, but then it morphed into this three part series. The first one isn't too angsty, but the other two will be. This first one takes place after the events of chapter one of "I Knew I Loved You", the second two will be after that whole fic. As always, please tell me what you think and what you want to see, because I could always make this into more than 3 parts.**

Neal was never one who could keep a secret. Many said he got that from his mother, others used to blame the fact that he was a little kid. At the end of the day, people knew that if they had any type of secret, Neal Nolan was not the person you told.

But what happens when the worst secret keeper has a secret of his own?

From a young age, he was never interested in girls. He didn't go through the cootie phase, but he still never had schoolyard crushes. In junior high, when a lot of his friends got girlfriends, he had no interest. It wasn't as if his parents would let him date, anyway. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. It wasn't until his freshmen year that he realized the true reason why.

He liked boys. In the way that all of his friends were attracted to girls, he was attracted to boys. His first kiss was with a junior, Nicholas Zimmer. They went on a few dates in secret until Nicholas' family moved away. Neal wondered if it was a phase, after that. There were no other guys at his school that he really had feelings for. He stayed single again, all the way up to his junior year.

Neal always had two best friends: Gideon Gold and Phillip Royal. He and Gideon were like brothers, especially after their siblings got married when they were 10. Phillip and Neal had been just as close, but high school put a small strain on them. Both struggled quietly with their sexuality and finally had the nerve to come out to one another around the start of the year. They kissed 3 days later and by the end of the month, they were an official couple.

Phillip came out to his parents and they were both very accepting. Neal felt too nervous to come out to his own. Which is how he found himself at Emma's one afternoon, sipping cocoa with cinnamon. Henry was with Bae, getting some last minute stuff for the upcoming baby, so it was just the two siblings.

"What's on your mind, Nee?" Emma asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Nothing."

"You've barely said two words since you got here. I know you, spill."

Neal sighed, chewing on his lip. "I'm dating someone."

A grin spread across Emma's face. "I knew it! You've been oddly less moody lately. Can I get a name?"

"Phillip."

She paused. 'You mean your friend, right?"

"Yeah."

"He's a really nice kid."

"Seriously?"

"What? He is."

"I just told you I was gay and you just say he's nice."

"Well, he is." Emma took his hand. "You know I love you, no matter what. You being gay doesn't change anything."

"Really?"

"Why would it? You're still the same baby brother I love."

"Not a baby anymore," he mumbled.

"Always my baby brother," she said. "Do Mom and Dad know?"

"Not yet. What if they don't take it well?"

"Nee, don't you know by now that their love is unconditional? They have loved you since before you even got here. They're also not the least bit homophobic, they were so accepting when Ruby and Lily came out."

"Ruby and Lily weren't their kid."

"Neal, they love you. This won't change that." She sighed when he still looked unconvinced. "You want me to come with you to tell them?"

Neal felt himself light up a bit at that offer. "Would you?"

"What are big sisters for?"

*x*

Mary and David had come to learn that silence from their son was a bad thing. As a small child, it meant he was doing something he shouldn't. As a teen, it meant he was bottling something up. It had to be even worse if Emma sat beside him, just as quiet.

"Neal has something to tell you," Emma finally said.

"Are you in trouble?" Mary asked her son.

"No, not yet anyway." Neal chewed on his thumb, a bad habit from when he was a baby was to suck his thumb. Over the years, it was reduced to chewing on the skin.

"You haven't gotten a girl pregnant, have you?" David asked.

Emma snorted and her parents shot her a look. "I assure you, it's the opposite of that."

"I'm gay," Neal blurted out. "And I've been dating Phillip for a few weeks now."

Matching smiles fell across Mary and David's faces. "Oh bubba," Mary whispered. "You were afraid to tell us that?"

"Well…yeah."

"Bud, we love you so much," David said. "You being gay changes nothing. You're still our son, still our little boy."

"Told you," Emma said with a wink, causing Neal to roll his eyes.

"I can't believe our baby's old enough to date," Mary mused.

"We could always say he's not," David half-teased.

Neal rolled his eyes again. "Emma started dating Bae when she was a year younger than me."

"Not my choice."

"Dad," Emma gave him a look. "You guys know Phillip and his parents. He's a good kid."

Neal sat in shock as his parents and sister reminisced over how fast he was growing up and debated how old Henry would have to be before his parents let him date. It was as if he had announced that he had two eyes, like it was the most natural thing in the world. His parents were still the same overprotective, loving freaks that they had always been. Had he really spent so much time worried about nothing? Then again, he knew he was lucky. He had an amazing, supportive family. One that he wouldn't trade for the world, even if they could be a little embarrassing sometimes.

One week later, he and Phillip had their first official date as an out couple. It wasn't anything fancy, they were just going to Granny's. It didn't stop his mom from taking a million pictures as he got ready or his dad talking him into a bow tie. He felt a little better considering Aurora and Phillip Sr. came along to fuss over their son and talk with Neal's parents about how fast their boys had grown up.

After Mary got one last picture of them by the door, Neal and Phillip headed towards the former's truck. (A present he had received for his 16th birthday.)

"Sorry about my parents."

Phillip laughed. "Did you see mine? I thought my mom was going to cry."

"Sometimes I think it was easier to date before we came out."

"This was nothing. Imagine prom?"

Neal groaned and Phillip chuckled, wrapping an arm around him.

"We'll get through it together."


	2. Chapter 2

**Trigger warning: Mentions of rape.**

Neal found out he was a product of rape when he was 15 years old.

He found his biological mother's name scrawled out in the records he swiped from Archie's office and did some research. He didn't want to find her, he just wanted to know that if he ever did…what was he looking for?

She had no social media, none that was public anyway. The only thing that came up for Ivy Belfrey in Boston (where he had been born) was a trial. She had pressed charges against Ed Swan for raping her, according to the records it happened at her mother's holiday party. It was yet another charge that got him put away.

(Though not long enough, he still remembered the day his biological father had been kidnapped.)

He had been unwanted, a forced mistake. One that Ivy had decided to throw away as soon as she got the chance. He had ended up in amazing family, he loved them more than life itself. But finding out that he was a product of rape changed him. He realized just how much of a reminder he must have been of his biological father to his biological mother.

So, he knew he would never look her up. He hated himself enough for coming from that man, he worked through it with Archie as much as he could. He couldn't dare to confirm it with Ivy.

Three years later, he got a call from his old social worker, Helen. He had seen her a few times throughout the years, Mary Margaret and David had formed a close bond with her. Before them, she had been the one person that Emma could count on. Even so, the call took him by surprise. It was a little after his eighteenth birthday and she said she was in town. They met up at Granny's.

"I cannot believe you're 18," Helen mused. "It seems like just yesterday they assigned me your case, a little baby in the back of the NICU. How is your heart doing, by the way?"

"Pretty good, no scares since I was in middle school." He moved his straw around in the glass. "I don't mean to be rude…but what is this all about?"

Helen sighed, reaching into her purse and pulling out an envelope. "As you know, your biological mother chose a closed adoption. That meant no contact or anything until you were 18. However, she did submit a letter a few years back, for when this day came. You don't have to respond or even read it, if that's your choice. I do have her contact information."

Neal stared at the letter before looking back up at her. "What does this say?"

"I don't know. I don't read the letters I get, to be quite honest."

"I just…I have hated myself for coming from Ed my entire life. I don't think…I don't think I could handle her hating me too."

Helen's face softened. "Oh Neal…I may not know what's in this letter, but I do know one thing. Ivy doesn't hate you, quite the opposite in fact. Her giving you up had nothing to do with him."

"You've spoken to her?"

"Many times. She wanted to make sure you were okay, she loves you so much." She smiled a little. "She's not your mother, but she is someone who cares a great deal for you."

Neal stuck the letter into his pocket and waited. He went on a date with Phillip, had dinner with his parents and babysat for Henry and Maggie. It wasn't until well after midnight when he was up in his room that he finally took the envelope out again and stared at the front. The cursive was unfamiliar, yet neat. Slowly, he pealed off the seal and removed the inside. It was handwritten and for a moment, he worried he wouldn't be able to read it. Instead, he found that it was just as neat as the front.

Dear Neal,

As I sit down to write this, it's your 13th birthday. I can't believe that so much time has passed since you were born. I held you for what was probably forever, but it only felt like a couple of minutes. You were so tiny, with the biggest blue eyes I had ever seen. You were sick, so it couldn't be for long. I knew the moment was coming, when I'd have to let you go, I just didn't think it'd happen so quick.

I'm sure by now you know how I got pregnant, but I need you to know that isn't why I gave you up. When I held you, I didn't see Ed. I just saw my son. However, back then, I wasn't anywhere near ready to be a mom. I was alone, my mother wasn't at all supportive. I'm not sure she ever really believed me that I was raped. She didn't want me to be a mother, so I tried to do it on my own at first. That didn't work out very well, I could barely support myself. I didn't even know how I'd support you.

So, I knew what I had to do. It was the hardest thing, but I thought you'd go to a good family. I'm just sorry it took so long for you to find them. Only 10 months, but that's still longer than I wanted. I thought I'd have an open adoption at first and your parents even wrote me, offering to let me see you. I just knew it'd be too hard. If I saw you, I'd selfishly want you back. I made a choice and I had to let you go.

I hope you're well and happy. I hope David and Mary Margaret were all you ever needed. I wondered if you ever thought of me, but I also hope that I wasn't there often. That you didn't feel I was missing from everything.

I love you, my baby boy. I hope one day we can meet again.

Love,

Ivy

Neal wiped the tears from his eyes and set the letter down. All that time thinking that Ivy hated him, that he was just another reminder of Ed…it wasn't true. She loved him, she had wanted him. It just wasn't meant to be. She had made the right choice, he wouldn't change his family for the world. Even so, he wondered if it was wrong that he wanted to meet her.

"Nee?" He looked up and found his mom lingering in the doorway. "Baby, it's late. What are you still doing up?"

"I um…I met up with Helen today." He held up the letter. "She gave me this letter from my bio mom."

"Oh." Mary slowly walked over and sat on the bed. "What does it say?"

"That she didn't give me up because of what Ed did to her. She tried to find a way to keep me, it was just too hard on her own." He rubbed at his eyes. "She said you and Dad offered to let her see me."

"We wanted what was best for you." She smiled. "We knew we'd always be your parents, but we wanted her to be there too. She said it was too hard and we understood."

"When I found out what she had been through…I thought she hated me. That I was forced on her, unwanted."

"Hey, you could never be unwanted." Mary put a hand on his cheek and looked him in the eyes. "You hear me?"

Neal nodded. "I…I think I want to see her. Would you…would you be okay with that?" Mary didn't respond right away and he went into panic mode. "It doesn't change anything. You're my mom, you raised me…"

"I know that and you're my baby boy, no matter what." The smile returned to her face and she tilted her head. "If you want to meet her, I'm okay with that. You came from her, you must have a million questions and that's okay. Dad and I have talked this through, a lot. We'll support whatever you want to do."

"You won't hate me for it?"

"Oh bubba." Her hand hadn't left his cheek and she started to stroke it. "Nothing you could ever do would make me hate you. How could I for wanting to know where you came from."

"You're my mom," he repeated. "You gave me everything I could ever want. I'm not trying to replace you."

"I know. I also know that you can have enough room in your heart for both of us." She kissed his forehead. "We'll talk to Helen about all of it in the morning. In the meantime…" She patted the bed and he sighed, climbing under the sheets. She pulled up the blankets, tucking him in for the first time in a while. "I love you, Nee."

He yawned, shutting his eyes. "I love you too, Mama."

Two weeks later, Neal sat in the back of his father's truck as they drove two hours out to Kittery, Maine. His stomach did summersaults as they pulled in front of the café they had agreed to meet at. David turned back to look at his son.

"You ready for this, big guy?"

"Yeah, I am. Are you two sure you're okay with this?"

"We are. We just want you to be happy."

They got out of the truck and headed inside. Neal searched the crowds, until he spotted the shirt Ivy said she'd wear in her e-mails. She had long dark hair and matching eyes. He slowly walked over to her, his parents not far behind him.

"Um…Ivy?"

She looked up and her breath caught. "Neal," she whispered.

She hopped up and threw her arms around him. He hugged her in return, resting his chin on top of her head. She clung to him for what felt like forever until she finally pulled off a bit, touching his chin.

"I can't believe you're so tall," she whispered, tears falling down her face. "You definitely didn't get that from me."

Neal laughed, wiping his own tears. "You're…you're really pretty."

Ivy smiled and stared at him for a few more seconds before turning to David and Mary, both were crying tears of joy. She stepped towards them, taking their hands into her own. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for raising my baby."

"Thank you for letting us," Mary said. "We love him more than anything."

"Our family wouldn't be complete without our boy," David whispered, looking fondly at his son.

The four of them settled down, ready for a long talk. They had 18 years to catch up on.


End file.
